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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · wound · drill · march · mouse · plane · craft · season

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. face — to confront
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. season — of the year
  11. drill — a practice
  12. craft — boats
  13. wound — an injury
  14. march — the month
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. face — to point toward
  19. march — the month
  20. face — part of the head
  21. march — music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com